Improvement in refrigerators



W. T. ALLEY.

Refrigerator;

Patented July 15, 1879.

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N.PETERS, FHOTOLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. 0 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM THOMAS ALLEY, OF OT'IUMWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TOJAMES A. TRIMBLE, OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0- 217,504, dated July 15,1879 application filed August 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM T. ALLEY, of Ottumwa, in the county ofWapello and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Refrigerator, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish an improved means of preservinganimal and vegetable substances from. fermentative disorganizationduring warm weather.

My invention relates to the manner of constructing a refrigerating box,case, or car within which it is designed to place and preserve animaland vegetable substances from fermentative disorganization by means ofice.

It consists in forming a series of independent ice-chambers in thepermanent vertical walls, and connecting the ice-chambers with thecentral storage-chamber in such way that the entire series willcooperate in afiecting the temperature of the storage-chamber, and thataccess can be gained to each chamber of the complete refrigeratorwithout opening or aifecting the operation of the other chambers, and insuch a way that no air will enter or escape from the chambers when theircovers are in place, and that the water produced by the consumption ofthe ice will pass from the icechambers and through the storage-chamber,to extract and carry off the latent heat of the contents of thestorage-chamber, while a cold vapor will remain at rest in thestorage-chamber, to prevent the ingress of warm air through the vent inits bottom, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 of my drawings is a top-plan View of my improved refrigerator.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central elevation. Together they illustrate theconstruction and operation of my complete invention.

a a represent the vertical walls of a box, ease, or car, which may varyin configuration and dimensions as desired. It is preferably made ofwood and joined together in a com mon way, and supported by means of askeleton-frame.

b b represent an inner wall, preferably made of sheet-zinc, that issecured to the frame-work and base of the outer wall, a a.

c 0 represent ice-chambers formed contigw ous to the inner wall, I), andbetween the walls a and I). They are preferably made of sheet metal andpermanently fixed between the walls a and -b.

d d are vacant spaces surrounding three sides of each of theice'chambers 0. These spaces are designed to be filled with charcoal orsome other suitable non-conducting material.

g represents a double-walled bottom, also filled with charcoal. in is anedubtion tubefixed in the bottom 9. n 12 represent feet to supportthecomplete refrigerator.

7* r represent a series of perforations in the bottom edge of each sideof theinner wall, I), by means of which the ice-chambers care connectedwith the central storage-chamber, s.

w is a double-walled air-tight movable cover, closing the top of thestorage-chamber s. a; w are movable air-tight covers closing the'tops ofthe ice-chambers c.

By means of the independent movable airtight covers upon the independentice-chambers connected with the central storage-chamber, each chamber inthe complete refrigerator can be opened separately without affecting theoperation of any of the chambers that remain closed, and consequentlyaccess can be gained to each ice-chamber consecutively, while all theother chambers remain closed. Therefore all the ice-chambers may berefilled without opening the storage chamber, and the storagechamber maybe opened and closed at pleas ore to put in and take out articles, asdesired, without opening any of the ice-chambers.

y is a movable cover extending over the en tire top. It rests upon ashoulder or molding formed around the top of the outside wall. 2 is aremovable and perforated bottom, supported upon suitable feet or cleatsin the bottom of the storage-chamber s, in such a manner as to allowwater to pass underneath and cold vapor around and through it, toenvelop the substances stored upon shelves above it, as indicated byfigures in broken lines.

In the practical operation of my invention I simply fill the series ofice-chambers with broken ice and then close their tops air-tight. Goldvapor and melted ice will then pass continuously into the centralstorage-chamber un til the ice is consumed. The water or melted ice willpass from the storage-chamber through the eduction-tube in its bottom,and in so doing will extract and carry off the warm air that may be inthe storage-chamber, and also the latent heat existing in the articlesstored in said chamber for preservation. The temperature of the air inthe storage-chamber will thus become changed by the melting of the icein the series of ice-chambers connected therewith, and an equaltemperature will be produced in all the chambers. The cold air thusproduced in the storage-chamber will constantly press downward andprevent warm air from rising and entering through the eduction-tube inits bottom, which tube is the only vent in the entire refrigerator. Aslong as ice remains in the ice-chambers the temperature in thestorage-chamber will be practically the same as in the ice-chambers, andcold enough to congeal and preserve perishable animal and vegetablesubstances placed in the storagechamber.

I am aware that a series of ice-chambers has been placed in thestorage-chamber of a refrigerator (but not in the double wall) in such amanner that access could be gained to the ice-chambers without openingthe cover of the storage-chamber, but not without allowing air tocirculate in the storage-chamber.

By my manner of forming the ice-chambers within the walls of arefrigerator I entirely disconnect them at their tops from thestoragechamber, and thereby prevent the circulation of air in thechambers and concentrate the products of the ice, cold vapor, and waterinto the central storage-cham her, to expel warm air and extract andcarry off the latent heat of the articles stored therein by the naturaldownward pressure of the cold vapor and water and the escape of thewater.

I do not claim a refrigerator having ice-receptacles arranged at thesides of the preserving-chamber, the same being supported by aframe-work resting on the floor of the refrigerator, being aware thatsuch construction is not new.

I claim- The described refrigerator, having double walls, a centralprovision-chamber, ice-chambers on all its sides, whose inner walls areraised above the bottom of the provisionchalnber, such ice and provisionchambers being closed air-tight at the top, a single eduction-pipe inthe bottom, and an elevated perforated shelf, all constructed andarranged so that the dripwater fromthe ice-chambers shall flow throughthe refrigerator under such perforated shelf, for the purpose oflowering the temperature in the provision-chamber, as set forth.

WILLIAM THOMAS ALLEY.

Witnesses:

S. E. ADLER, 0. T. MoGARRoLL.

